By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — The Select Board has reached an agreement with the Wheeler family to acquire its remaining land at 1 Central St., adjacent to Ipswich River Park, for the sum of $650,000.
The board held an early morning executive session last Friday, Dec. 22, at 8:15 a.m., and reconvened in open session around 8:45 a.m. to announce the agreed upon price and to call for a vote in public session on whether to accept the Wheeler’s purchase price. The members present voted to sign a warrant convening the Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, January 30 at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at NRHS.
The lot at 1 Central St. includes the existing house and is comprised of two parcels known as Parcel 36 and Parcel B. It is about half an acre in size. This lot was created in 1997 after the rear portion of the much larger lot was subdivided and sold to the town. That land, which is now known as 3R Central Street, was purchased with Hillview Commission enterprise funds. The Parks and Recreation currently use it for maintenance and accessory parking with direct access to the paved parking lot at Ipswich River Park. 3R Central St. is unpaved and Mr. Wheeler’s old barn is used by the Parks Dept. to store equipment.
The town also owns 5 Central St., which includes a small house used as a Recreation Center by the town. The School Dept. parks its school buses behind 5 Central Street and partially on 3R Central Street.
In order for the sale of 1 Central St. to proceed, voters at the Special Town Meeting need to approve the expenditure and authorize the Select Board to “acquire for general municipal purposes by gift, purchase or eminent domain, and upon such terms at it deems appropriate, the land or any portion thereof or interest therein, with all improvements, buildings and structures located thereon…”
Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto stated at the meeting that he believes the land can be purchased without using enterprise funds or needing any sort of override.
Being a Special Town Meeting, a quorum of 150 voters is required for the meeting to be convened. Residents new to town must register to vote by Wednesday, January 20 to be eligible to vote at this Special Town Meeting.
Three board members were present at the Dec. 22 meeting, Chairwoman Liane Gonzalez, Vice Chairman Vincenzo Stuto and member Stephen O’Leary. All votes taken by the board passed 3-0. Members Kate Manupelli and Rich Wallner were not present in the open session.
In addition to voting 3-0 to call the Special Town Meeting, the board members voted to recommend passage of Articles 1, 2 and 3. Article 1 is for the Acquisition and Appropriation of 1 Central Street; Article 2 is a recommendation amending the FY24 Operating Budget; and Article 3 is a recommendation to amend the FY24 Capital Budget.
O’Leary said he was thankful for the Wheeler family’s willingness to give the town “basically the right of first refusal for the purchase of this property.”
O’Leary added, “I think the purchase price is extremely reasonable. Certainly, it is in the best interest of the town to purchase this property given its proximity to Ipswich River Park and the former Wheeler property. It only becomes available to us once so let’s take advantage of it and purchase it.”
Gonzalez concurred that it is a “very reasonable price for the land.” She added, “This has been a gift from the Wheelers for us to add on to the gem of Ipswich River Park.”
If the sale of the land passes at the Special Town Meeting the town will own all of the frontage along this side of Central Street, from Chestnut Street down to Park Street.